Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:30-31
“Hey you, there.
Gripping the steering wheel on the way to work, I see you. You with the heavy sack on your shoulders. You, trying so hard to love your neighbor that you forget to cut yourself any slack at all. I see you.
I see all the worries you try so hard to press down. I see how valiantly you get up and go out the door while I have yet to touch the sky with My dawn’s light. I see how you pray on the way to work, trying to beat back the panic attacks that come like flocks of black crows beating their wings in your heart.
I know how you worry about everyone, both the ones near, and the ones far away. I know that each day you fear a phone call. One that tells you they are in the hospital or they fell, or worse. You feel like if you could corral everyone in one place, you could control circumstances…..keep them safe.
I see how you place them in my care and take them back again.
I see how you coast to a stop in the parking lot as you draw a breath and heave that bag and juggle that traveler’s mug full of courage.
Drink from My cup of peace.
My child, in your haste to do right by everyone else, don’t forget yourself.
Sometimes we try so hard to love our neighbor that we forget all about ourselves.
photo source: creative commons, some rights reserved by remittancegirl, on flickr
Lori's Prayer Closet 
you don’t even know how true this is of me. thank you for the reminder of His peace
You are so welcome, it seems others have felt the same way I did when I wrote this! Blessings on your day 🙂
Oh my..this is stunning. Were you praying for me today? Because I might have just been that guy in the car.
“Cut yourself some slack.” The wisest words I’ve read in a long time
David, it was actually me in the car, but it could have been anybody! I don’t know about you but I can be my own worst enemy. Sometimes we just need to take a breath and remind ourselves that God loves us no matter what. It’s always unconditional! I am so glad you identified with this, that is what I always hope, that someone will. Bless you! Lori
I have 2.5 boys to men out of the nest and 2.5 still in – and your post spoke to me in reference to all of them:) While I’m learning to not be so hard on myself, I look forward to the day when the boys aren’t so hard on me, too:) Thank you for blessing me with your message today:)
Thank you for taking the time to read! With 4 boys you probably don’t have much time for that…..you have my respect and admiration and I just know you are doing a great job with them. No perfect parents, only those who do their best with God’s help and wisdom! May all that hard work come back to bless you a hundredfold! Lori